Colombo bourse edged up on Tuesday ahead of the parliamentary decision on the 19th Amendment to the constitution. All Shares Price Index gained 9.30 points or 0.13% to end at 7,134.43 while 20-script S&P SL index marginally gained by 5.47 points (+0.14%) to end at 4,026.26.

Price appreciation in counters such as Distilleries (closed at LKR 245.00, +1.5%), People’s Leasing (closed at LKR 23.40,+1.7%) and Vallibel One (closed at LKR 22.70, +3.2%) contributed favorably to the index movement.

Daily market turnover was LKR 756mn. Renuka Foods positioned at the top of the turnover list with LKR 88mn followed by John Keells Holdings (LKR 82mn) and Commercial Bank (LKR 75mn). Only single crossing was recorded in Commercial Bank where 0.3mn shares changed hands at LKR 171.50 per share. The crossing accounted for 6% of the market turnover.

Gainers offset the losers 126 to 58 while 44 counters remained unchanged. Cash map marginally inclined to 59% from 55%. Five counters reached to 52wk high prices while only Expolanka and Singhe Hospitals dropped to 52wk low prices. Expolanka declined to a 52wk low price of LKR 8.50, -1.1% (closed at LKR 8.60, no change) and Singhe Hospitals declined to a 52wk low price of LKR 2.40 (closed at LKR 2.50, +4.2%).

Shares of ACME Printing & Packaging, Swisstek, Renuka Foods and Hemas Holdings rights were among heavily traded counters. Swisstek reached to a 52wk high price of LKR 56.90, +4.4%. Counter closed at LKR 55.10, +1.1%.

Softlogic Holdings declined today despite the dividend declared yesterday. The counter declined to LKR 14.30, -0.7%. Further Lighthouse Hotel declared a final dividend of LKR 2.00 per share.

Meanwhile finance sector counters such as Vallibel Finance, Singer Finance and Abans Financial Services further advanced during the session. Vallibel Finance advanced to a 52wk high price of LKR 54.50, +4.8% (closed at LKR 53.50, +2.9%), Singer Finance (closed at 22.70, +5.1%) and Abans Financial Services (closed at 28.60, -10.3%) reached to 52wk high prices of LKR 23.10,+6.9% and LKR 33.90, +6.3% respectively.

Foreign investors continued to be net buyers with a net foreign inflow of LKR 21mn. Foreign participation was high at 24%. Net foreign inflows were seen in John Keells Holdings (LKR 57mn), Ceylon Cold Stores (LKR 4mn) and Distilleries (LKR 4mn) while net foreign outflow was mainly seen in People’s Leasing (LKR 19mn).

Meanwhile at today’s Treasury bill auction, T-Bill yields further dropped where 12M yield declined by 11bps to 6.39% while 3M yield declined by 4bps to 6.15% and 6M yield declined by 3bps to 6.32%. CBSL offered LKR 21bn worth of Treasury bills today and the auction was oversubscribed by 3.4 times with bids received amounting to LKR 70.5bn. It was decided to accept LKR 25.4bn.

Lanka Securities Research